We Are God's Family

“If we only believed we are brothers and sisters in God's family, there would be
no soldiers to fight wars or make bombs. We would refuse to perpetrate social
injustices against the third world and the poor workers. If we realized we are
brothers and sisters, abortion, racism, and apathy would lose their hold on
us.”

This is a segment of a reflection on today’s reading from Philemon, where St. Paul is trying to get the slave Onesimus to be accepted as an equal with other men.. St. Paul starts by using one person as an example to bring about change to undermine slavery. He knows it’s impossible to change everything at once. So too should we take that initial baby step in trying to end the social injustices so prevalent today.

If only we were on the same page, that is that we truly believed and lived like we are brothers and sisters of God’s family then the task at hand would be less burdensome.

In today’s gospel from Luke 17; 20-25, Jesus tells the Pharisees that the “Kingdom of God is among you.” It is not among us when we fight wars and perpetrate all kinds of social injustices on others.

I often feel overwhelmed by all the violence that is going on around me in this world and feel completely helpless in trying to effect any change. As I give to one charitable organization ten others are knocking at my door for help. Recently it seems that natural disasters have stepped up their timetable of occurrences and have inflicted much pain and suffering throughout the world.

The depressive and deflating feeling of what can one person do is answered by St. Paul’s example. He doesn’t give up. He remains true to his faith and is constantly fighting to make things right.

We should take heart and gain great strength and courage from the following passage in Matthew 18; 19 -20, “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them.”